The 2024 Rushmore Challenge

Harrisburg High School

Friday and Saturday, February 9-10, 2024

The Harrisburg High School Chapter of the National Speech & Debate Association would like to invite you to the Rushmore Challenge Debate and IE Tournament at Harrisburg High School on Friday and Saturday, February 9 & 10 2024.

The following information on events, divisions, fees, judges, schedules, and awards is probably not complete – please ask if you have questions and I will clarify!

SCHEDULE

Rushmore Challenge 2024 Schedule

Friday

2:00 - 2:40 Schools arrive PAC Doors (Not the main doors, map here)

2:00 Registration opens

2:45 General Meeting

3:15: IE Round 1*

4:30 IE Round 2*

5:45 IE Round 3*

Quick Dinner Break

7:20 IE Finals*

ASAP Awards

* If you are double entered in extemp and another speech event please follow this rule: if you are 1 or 2 in extemp go to extemp. If your 3 or later go to your other round first.

Saturday

Debate

8:00 am – PF/LD Rd 1

9:00 am – PF/LD Rd 2

10:30 am – PF/LD Round 3

12:00 pm – PF/LD Round 4

1:30 pm – PF/LD Round 5

3:00 pm - PF/LD Quarters

4:00 pm – PF/LD Semis

5:00 pm – PF/LD Finals

6:00 pm – Awards

What is the Challenge What sets the Rushmore challenge apart from other tournaments? Quite simply, it is the challenge. At the Rushmore Challenge we allow Varsity Lincoln, Douglas, and Varsity Public forum debaters to enter themselves into a challenge pool. When they enter themselves in this challenge pool, they are able to select their competition for round one, and two.

How it works The challenge works is coaches fill out this form. That will enter up to two debaters or teams into the challenge pool. In the pool we will set up a a random draw system. We will draft down until the pool is exhausted for round one. We will then select debaters or teams that did not get to choose first round to set up second round. Yes, there is a chance that you may enter and not get to choose your competition. Just rest easy knowing that everybody wanted to debate you. This is a risk you take by entering.

Dates to remember • Sign up is due by 5 PM on Tuesday, February 6 at 5 PM. • Selection will happen online, via email on Wednesday, February 7. Pairings will be released as soon as possible, after teams have selected their competition.

Speech Events on Friday, February 9

Humorous, Duo, and Dramatic Interpretation, Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking, Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking, Original Oratory, POI, and Informative Speaking

Please provide one judge for every 5 entries or fraction thereof in all speech categories..

• There will be three rounds of speech events with finals.
• All events should be memorized.
• We will follow NSDA rules for all events.
• D. Ex and F. Ex. Seven minutes maximum speech time; 30 minutes prep time.
• Interp, Info and Oratory have a 10-minute time limit.
• There are no entry limits.

DEBATE on Saturday, February 10

Lincoln-Douglas Debate – Varsity and Junior Varsity – Five rounds of preliminary competition and breaking to quarters.

Public Forum Debate – Varsity and Junior Varsity – Five rounds of preliminary competition and breaking to quarters.

• For Student Congress, please provide one dedicated judge (not in any other pool) for every school entry. It doesn’t matter how many Congress people you enter you just need 1 judge commitment for the school. After the rounds are paneled, any judge who is not assigned will be put into the PF or LD pool
• All topics will be the current NSDA topic. Which is the January/February topic for LD and the February ("Resolved: The United States ought to substantially reduce its military presence in the West Asia-North Africa region".)resolution for Public Forum ("Resolved: The United States federal government should ban single-use plastics.”)

• We will follow NSDA rules for all events.
• A guest Wi-fi Internet connection will be available.
• No Entry limits. You must bring judges to cover your obligations.

REGISTRATION

We will be using the tabroom.com website for registration this year. If you have questions, please contact me via email:patrick.pope@k12.sd.us I can also be reached on my cell phone (605) 376-0667.ENTRIES ARE DUE Wednesday, February 8, at 10:00 pm.

FEES

·Entry fees are $15 for Public Forum & Lincoln Douglas Debate events and $8 for Speech and Student Congress events.

·Missing judge fees are $150 for PF and Speech per day.

·Make checks to:

Harrisburg High School Speech and Debate.

C/O Speech and Debate Team

JUDGES

We have very few judges to hire at this point.. Please cover your slots and let us know if you have any extra judges for any division that another school may hire.

We will be using online balloting for all rounds. Please have your judges register for a tabroom account for notifications and ballots.

Release schedule

The Congress docket will be South Dakota January / February Docket.

The list of Extemp Questions will be released on Thursday, February 8. If you wish to submit a question to be considered it must be submitted by Monday, February 5th.

Concessions

They will be available throughout the weekend at HHS. You can purchase concessions with credit cards or with cash. Either works at HHS! There is an ATM located on campus, in the main commons.

AWARDS

Speech: The top six finishers in speech events and congress will receive an award

Debate: quarterfinalists in debate will receive an award.

Sweepstakes:The top three Class AA and top two Class A schools will receive a sweepstakes trophy.

DIRECTIONS – the official HHS address….

Harrisburg HS

1300 W Willow St

Harrisburg, SD 57032

Arrival and Parking

School will still be in session as you are arriving, so please follow these guidelines for parking and entering the building:

·The parking map is here.

·We have a new bus drop-off and parking lot behind the school. Please drop off students at the entrances behind the Performing arts center (marked in Yellow). Buses and cars should park in this lot, as well.

·There are bus parking spots as marked on the map.

·Please DO NOT use the main entrance to the school.

·Please plan to arrive After 2:00 before 2:40. Even if you think you won't interfere with our buses, traffic is a serious issue. If you have not arrived by 2:45, it is unlikely that you will get inside before 3:15.

• School is dismissed at 2:58. All students need to stay in the PAC until after General Meeting.

Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns. We look forward to seeing each of you in February at Harrisburg!

The Harrisburg Speech & Debate Coaching Staff